Interview with Beyond Meat + Coupon Offer

As a vegan, I tend to look for some plant-based meats when it comes to familiar foods. I grew up in the country, so when I switched from omnivore to herbivore overnight, there were definitely some times where I thought I just couldn't manage. Fortunately, I went plant-based at the PERFECT time. Everywhere you look, even in your neighborhood grocery store, there are plenty of options everywhere when it comes to plant-based meats. While wandering the aisles of Whole Foods in Austin last year, I stumbled upon Beyond Meat. It was a new product on the shelves, and it looked delicious. I couldn't wait to get home and make some chicken-free chicken fajita quesadillas that night.

I recently reached out to Beyond Meat to learn more about their products, what inspired this company to produce these options, and what their vision is. Be sure to check out more at Beyond Meat.

Limited time offer | Receive $1 off your next purchase of any Beyond Meat product! [Expires 8/1/2014]

LRJ: How did Ethan, the CEO, switch from the energy sector to researching a meat made from plants?

Beyond Meat: Fixing the "meat" problem was always on the back of Ethan's mind dating back to his time spent with his family on a local farm in Maryland. When he first learned about the amazing strides two scientists at the University of Missouri—Fu Hung Hsieh and Harold Huff—were making using plant-proteins to mimic animal protein, he knew he was on to something.

LRJ: Is Ethan vegetarian or vegan? Did that spur his interest into this topic?

Beyond Meat: Vegan. Ethan has always been interested in improving the world, and after years spent learning about the far-reaching effects of the meat industry, the nagging question he always asked was, “Would we continue to raise and eat animals in such staggering numbers if a perfect plant-based replication of meat existed?" This is the answer that all of us here at Beyond Meat are trying to answer every day!

LRJ: In what year did he start his journey into this venture, and what did he expect to achieve?

Beyond Meat: Officially, Beyond Meat started in 2009 but his research and work with Fu Hung Hsieh and Harold Huff started well before that, and his expectations are nothing short of changing the way the world MEATS!

LRJ: Tell me a little bit more about Beyond Meat's 25/20 vision!

Beyond Meat: The 25 by 20 vision encompasses all of our core values—human health, animal welfare, global resource conservation, and climate change—by rolling them all into one very clear and actionable goal: reduce meat by 25% by the year 2020! This may be a lofty goal, but it's why Beyond Meat exists and all of us here believe that by shooting for a goal such as this could make a significant impact on the world.

LRJ: I've tried your Southwest Strips and made some awesome quesadillas with them and tacos. I was amazed by the quality and how close it was to the real thing. What other products do you offer?

Beyond Meat: We offer three flavors of our Chicken Strips: Southwest, Lightly Seasoned and Grilled; two flavors of our Beef Crumbles: Feisty and Beefy, and our newest product, The Beast Burger, is set to hit shelves soon. Check out www.beastburger.com for more info!

LRJ: How do you decide on developing new products? Are you planning on expanding to other items in the future?

Beyond Meat: One of the major focuses here at Beyond Meat is innovation. We are constantly looking to refine and improve our current offerings and are constantly looking for ways to incorporate other plant-based proteins and unlocking new and improved methods to provide the best possible MEAT around!  We're not satisfied with being a great plant-based meat; we're shooting for a world where the "meat" section is simply the "protein" section.

Beyond Meat is sold across the US in HEB, Whole Foods, Publix, and Sprouts. Find a store near you to try their products for yourself!

Limited time offer | Receive $1 off your next purchase of any Beyond Meat product! [Expires 8/1/2014]

The meal options with Beyond Meat are really endless. Here's a few yummy photos of the beef and chicken in tacos, soups, and more!

Interview with Tofurky Founder Seth Tibbott

Since going vegan, we occasionally consume some meat alternatives and usually reach for Tofurky products. We enjoy their Breakfast Sausage links, Beer Brats, Italian Sausages, and Kielbasa. We even had a cookout for our omnivorous family members with the brats and sausages, which they enjoyed! I reached out to Tofurky to express our gratitude for making these different products for vegans everywhere and never expected such an awesome response.

None other than the founder of Tofurky, Seth Tibbott, responded to my email. I was totally shocked and amazed at how down to earth he was and he promptly agreed to answer some of my questions. I was really curious about his story and the history of Tofurky and excited to hear what led to such a successful company who hasn't lost sight of what is important (hint: their customers!). Check out how it all began and why he chose to live in a treehouse for seven years below!

LRJ: How long have you been vegan and what brought you to that decision?

Seth: I became a vegetarian, not a vegan, in 1973 after reading Francis Moore Lappe's book, Diet For A Small Planet. She beautifully explained that animals were a wasteful way to produce protein which made sense to my environmental/naturalist ears. After this initial environmental-based conversion, I looked at the health benefits and the ethics of not eating animals and the diet added up from those angles, too.

Several years later, I became a "pure vegetarian" (vegan was not a term used yet) after visiting The Farm, an intentional community in Tennessee. After that, I cycled back and forth between vegetarian and vegan diets, finally settling onto my current vegan diet which I don't plan to ever leave. Looking back, this change to plant-based foods was one of the top three decisions that I made in this life.

LRJ: Take me back 35 years and tell me how you started making tempeh as a hobby. What inspired you to start there?

Seth: When I first stopped eating meat, my mom was really worried about me getting enough protein. I told her to relax; I was eating soybeans and felt fine. At that time I was eating a lot of soy grit burgers, not the most digestable or tastiest of things, but pretty decent. When I went to The Farm in Tennessee, I learned about tempeh and bought some starter from them.

I was working in Tennessee during the hot summer of 1977 and I went home and made some tempeh right away, putting it out to incubate in a bread pan covered with tin foil in a field by Lake Nolichucky, where I was working as an environmental specialist. The next morning, a beautiful white fluffy crop of mold grew on my beans. It smelled great and I cooked it up with some silver queen sweet corn, okra, and tomatoes. It was one of the best meals of my life. I still salivate thinking about that meal!

LRJ: After you decided to focus on plant-based protein, you founded Turtle Island Foods in 1980. How big was the demand for plant protein and how did you gain your foothold with health food stores?

Seth: In 1980, the natural food movement was in its infancy in Portland, Oregon. There were about six main stores, two of which were in dark warehouse sort of spaces and not much to look at. There was also one vegan restaurant. It was pretty easy getting space in those stores. When I approached Nature's, the biggest store in town, they said, "Cool! Now we can fill up our shelves with something! Do you have any more products?" Today it's a little bit harder to place products on shelves!

Few people had heard of tempeh so there was a lot of education and demos involved, of which I personally did several hundred. My vision was centered around the fact that in college you had to make your own granola, yogurt, and other foods because none was available (except for at the hippie head shop that I worked in that sold rainbow-colored bags of granola right under the rolling papers). Five years later, there was a whole shelf of granola in every supermarket in America. I thought that tempeh would follow the same path.

LRJ: Your family helped finance some of your ventures in the beginning and you put up $2,500 of your own. What were you focusing on for those first couple of years that have helped you succeed and expand in the early 80's?

Seth: Turtle Island and Tofurky worked because they had to work. There was no "Plan B" for me. I probably should have quit somewhere after the first ten years of only making $300 or less a month but the business was never about money. Working hard, doing everything from production to sales and marketing and accounting gave me a deep respect and appreciation for the people who we now employ to do those jobs here. It's hard work producing and marketing a food product. I am grateful of everyone on our team here and I want to increase everyone's benefits and work environment here. The last 33 years have been a great learning experience; very thrilling, but also very humbling.

LRJ: Tell me about your tree house! As a minimalist enthusiast, I'd love to hear how that process was, and possible delve into that deeper in another interview/blog post. What made you decide to live in a three-story tree house, and how did that affect you personally?

Seth: When you aren't making much money, life becomes a creative game of survival. I rented the trees for $25 a month and spent about $2,000 on the treehouse that I lived very comfortably in for seven years. That comes to about $60 a month when you include utilities, or 1/5 of my monthly salary, so that was about right. I was single and did not have a family to support at that time. There were actually two other treehouses in our valley which inspired me to build mine, and we would call each other to check in when the wind would blow strong over the mountains. My treehouse was 11'x16' with a deck, sleeping loft and cupola. I had a telephone, wood stove, propane cookstove, running water, electricity and a treehouse "peehouse". All the essentials!

LRJ: When you develop new products, what kinds of things are in the back of your mind and how do you gauge what will fly off the shelves?

Seth: New product development is always a risk. It's as much intuition and art as it is science certainly, and no one ever bats 1000%. We try and stay close to our customers and listen to what they are telling us. Facebook and social media of course makes this much easier than ever to do. We also try and pay attention to what we ourselves can't get but want. Currently we have a great Research & Development team here that takes it's time and mostly gets things right.

LRJ: Looking back through the years, were there any moments that truly stand out in your mind as the biggest indicator that you and your company was headed for success?

Seth: When Tofurky hit the market in 1995, our fortunes changed. We moved from a non-profitable regional company to a slightly-profitable national company. It was pretty cool how it happened so suddenly thanks to all the media attention. I remember I was at this party of people I hardly knew around Thanksgiving. I was walking from room to room and everywhere I went I was overhearing people talking about this crazy Tofurky product. The next day I went to work and the phone was ringing off the hook. Once I had to put The Wall Street Journal reporter on hold to talk to The Washington Post! Pretty heady times for a small town guy living in a tree.

Special thanks to Seth for taking some time out of his busy life to speak with The Little Red Journal! 

Rip Esselstyn's My Beef With Meat + Recipes

Rip Esselstyn's new book, My Beef With Meat, is hitting the shelves tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited to share some information about it! I first saw Rip at the end of the Forks Over Knives movie, and I knew I would be hooked. The Engine 2 Diet was a great way to kick off my own plant-based journey, and I've even had my copy signed by Rip himself during an Engine 2 Potluck at his home here in Austin, Texas. When I heard he was coming out with his new book, I was more than happy to spread the word.

I'm giving away one free copy of the book, as well as receiving my very own copy for hosting this great giveaway (thank you, Engine 2 Diet team)! Want a chance to win? Comment on this post below and tell me what your beef with meat is! The winner will be picked on Friday, May 17th after 7 p.m.

My [Own] Beef With Meat: Throughout my plant-based journey, I learned so much more about nutrition that I ever thought was possible. All of the things I thought I knew about food and eating animals was turned upside down when I started to research the rates of disease and chronic illnesses so many people I know and love are facing right now. After following the principles in The Engine 2 Diet, I lost 30 lbs. within six months, my cholesterol dropped by 80 points, and I regained my health. I'd love for more people to realize the benefits of eating this way, and really learn the truth behind eating animal products, and how it affects your health.

About the book:
For the millions who are following a plant-based diet, as well as those meat-eaters who are considering it, My Beef With Meat is the definitive guide to convincing all that it's truly the best way to eat! New York Times Bestelling author of The Engine 2 Diet and nutrition lecturer Rip Esselstyn, is back and ready to arm readers with the knowledge they need to win any argument with those who doubt the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Esselstyn reveals information on the foods that most people believe are healthy, yet that scientific research shows are not. Some foods, in fact, he deems so destructive they deserve a warning label. Want to prevent heart attacks, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer's? Then learn the facts and gain the knowledge to convince those skeptics that they are misinformed about plant-base diets, for instance:

• You don't need meat and dairy to have
strong bones or get enough protein
• You get enough calcium and iron in plants
• The myth of the Mediterranean diet
• There is a serious problem with the Paleo diet
• If you eat plants, you lose weight and feel great

My Beef With Meat proves the Engine 2 way of eating can optimize health and ultimately save lives
and includes more than 145 delicious recipes to help readers reach that goal.

You can order the book on Amazon

Why did you write this book?
I’ve discovered that there is a HUGE disconnect between what people think is healthy and what medical science knows to be healthy; for example, people have been bamboozled into believing that olive oil, Greek yogurt, chicken, and fish are healthy. Many people think the diet of the day is salmon, low fat dairy, and olive oil, washed down with a glass of red wine and a Lipitor pill for good measure. This is how confused, distracted, and off-course we have gotten--because this is NOT a good diet!

This book explains to plant eaters and meat eaters alike why a whole food, plant-strong diet rocks on a jillion different levels, hence the subtitle: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet. The primary driving force behind the book was to delve deeper into the major myths that keep surfacing about eating plants, such as: “You won’t get enough protein”, “You won’t get enough calcium”, “Eating plants is too expensive”, “Real men (and women) eat meat”, “Olive oil is heart-healthy”, and “Moderation in everything.”

The book shows how wrong each of these myths is. It gives the reader real science, not fad-diet talk. One of the titles we thought about was “How to Win an Argument with a Meat-eater” and believe me, after reading this book, you will never lose another argument with a carnivore again.

By the way, once you’ve won the argument, you can start cooking up any one of the 140 lipsmacking, rib-sticking outrageously good recipes to prove your point with food as well as with words.

There are some controversial things you tackle in this book, like The Paleo Diet. Why did you decide to address that specific diet?

The two big dueling diets right now are paleo and planteo. I believe that the paleo diet is just a good gimmick. The paleo people have taken the South Beach/Atkins diets and put a little spin on it. There are some positives with paleo, such as no refined or processed foods, and no dairy products. But any diet that promotes animal products with saturated fats, and animal protein isn’t promoting health. The consensus among the researchers who have studied the diets of humans in paleo times have said that at least 80 percent of their food was plant-based. Yes, they ate some animals, but we've evolved since then, we're smarter; we do not need, want, or get healthy from animal products. Back in the day, you would do anything you could to get calories into your body--it was a matter of survival. But in this day and age, you can go down the street to any grocery store and get all that you need without resorting to animal flesh.

An interesting article in US News & World Report in 2011 reviewed many different popular diets and decided that the one people should avoid is the paleo diet.

What about the people who say that they get results from a paleo diet? That’s because the Standard American Diet (SAD) is such an abomination you will get good results when switching to any diet that is even remotely healthier. If you want to get to the next step, cut out the meat!

There are a couple of chapters that talk about how plant-strong can make you stronger in the bedroom. Why do plants help in that department?

Plants help in a number of ways. When you are eating meat/dairy/processed foods, your arteries clog up. Believe it or not, the smallest artery men have is the artery to the penis, so it's not surprising that one of the first signs of heart disease is erectile dysfunction (ED). When you start eating a plant-strong diet, you begin to metabolize away some of the fat/cholesterol that you've built up, and you start to restore your endothelial lining. As my dad (Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn) likes to say, “Endothelial cells are the life jacket of your vascular system.” They are the inner lining of our 65,000 miles of vessels. When you bring them back to life, they produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide allows those vessels to open up. When that happens, it allows for more blood flow, which is key to a great erection.

Interestingly, the one area that we have more endothelial cells per unit volume is the male penis. It’s amazing how many guys e-mail us and tell us about their ED going away.

Likewise, women experience similar success. When they cut out the animal products and processed junk foods, they have increased blood flow to the clitoris and surrounding tissues, which creates lubrication. We’ve also received hundreds of e-mails from women telling us about their new, healthier sex life as a result of going plant-strong.

So remember guys and gals plant-strong makes you pant-strong!

Do your kids like eating this way?

My kids, Kole and Sophie, do not like eating this way--they LOVE eating this way! They have no interest in eating anything from animals. If they find out that cake and ice-cream offered to them has things like eggs, butter or milk they politely decline. Kole and Sophie love mangoes, grapefruit, brown rice, baked tofu, peanut butter on whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, cheese-less whole grain pizza and banana ice-cream. Kole was hungry, and I told him I'd give him anything he wanted. Guess what he asked for.... he asked for broccoli!

What about athletes--can they be plant-strong?

Yes, they can and should be plant-strong. It is the absolute dope when it comes to taking your athletic performance to the next level. When I was a full time triathlete, I was guilty of taking performance enhancing…… foods. They are nature’s legal performance enhancing drugs! Plants give you an abundance of protein, water, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals that support your body after training. Plants are loaded with clean, unprocessed carbs that will replace depleted glycogen stores in your muscle and liver--allowing you to train harder, adapt faster, and improve quicker.

Plants give you a dose of alkaline, and anti-inflammatory substances that protect you from the stresses of long training days. Plants give you a clear head that will allow you to focus like a laser beam. Plants give you youthful arteries that will improve blood flow to all of your working muscles for maximal oxygen uptake. Plants strengthen your immune system and keep you healthy and free from illness. Plants give you a lean and muscular body that doesn't carry excessive weight.

When you are eating plant-strong, you are getting unprocessed carbs, healthy fats, plant-proteins, fiber and anti oxidants -- all of the things that your body relishes and craves and takes your performance to the next level.

What else do you have a beef with?

The huge disconnect with what people think is healthy and what we actually know to be healthy.
This creates confusion and distraction. The answer is so incredibly simple. Eat more whole plant-based
foods!

I have a beef with dairy.
I have a beef with processed/refined foods.
I have a beef with the Mediterranean diet.
I have a beef with drinking your calories.
I have a beef with olive oil and ALL other extracted oils.
I have a beef with supplements.
I have a beef with the belief that carbs are the devil.
I have a beef with the myth that soy is evil.
I have a beef with “everything in moderation.”
But -- I have no beef with plants!

To give you a little taste for what's in the book, here are a couple of recipes that are sure to be hits in your home!

Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon vanilla
¾ cup natural chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups old fashioned oats
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
½ cup non-dairy chocolate chips or raisins

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper
3. Mix bananas, vanilla, peanut butter and maple syrup into a creamy consistency in a large bowl
4. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until they are well combined--the batter
should be slightly sticky
6. Fold in the chocolate chips or raisins
7. Place rounded, heaping tablespoon-sized balls of the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes
9. Gobble these up while they are still warm

©Engine2Diet

Spicy Southern Grits

Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
¼ cup green chilies, diced
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
2 cups veggie stock
½ cup grits, yellow
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ lime, juiced
½ tsp salt (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Directions:
1. Sautee the onions, garlic, green chilies and chipotle pepper with 2 tablespoons veggie stock for 5
to 7 minutes
2. Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil
3. Wisk in grits and cook on low heat for 5 to7 minutes
4. Stir in nutritional yeast and lime
5. Adjust seasoning to your liking and serve

©Engine2Diet

Calling All Herbivores: Share Your Story!

I have been meeting so many great people through my blog. Some are people who are curious about the vegan or plant-based lifestyle and others are hardcore vegans themselves. I've met Angel, a fellow blogger and reader, for lunch at Casa De Luz in Austin, Texas recently. This made me really wonder who else was touched by either my blog or the information that's available in my Plant-Based Resources section.

Here's where I ask for YOUR help! If you have a story that you'd like to share, whether you're thinking of going plant-based, or you've been a vegan for several months, please email me for an interview. I would love to share your stories, as well, and think that your journey is just as unique as mine. If you're interested in sharing your story, please email me at kelsey[at]thelittleredjournal[dot]com!

I can't wait to hear from you!

Interview with Chef AJ, author of Unprocessed

I recently reviewed Chef AJ's book, Unprocessed, and followed up with her to ask some questions. Her book consists of two parts: a cookbook with 100 recipes and the story of her own journey to veganism. The enthusiasm she exudes is encouraging and the support she provides in the book is amazing. Chef AJ's past experiences have uniquely positioned her to lead others to success by proving that no matter what, anyone is capable of make a lifestyle change.

LRJ: Your story really struck me as inspiring with all that you've been through. I'm a big believer in experiencing certain situations that bring you to a fork in the road. Once you embraced a plant-based diet, how did it affect your life?

Chef AJ: Well, in the area of my physical health, it did not improve until I switched from a junk food vegan diet to an SOS-free (Sugar/Oil/Salt-free) whole food, pant-based diet. But my spiritual and emotional health improved instantly when I stopped consuming dead, decaying rotten animal flesh and their secretions. I never felt it was right, or even necessary, to wear or eat animals and I just felt so much better that no living creature had to suffer or die so I could satisfy my addictions. And meat and dairy are highly addictive.

LRJ: I'm always interested in why people have changed their diets. You and I both made the switch to a plant-based diet for health reasons. You also referenced in your book that some people may not be ready to make the switch until a serious problem occurs. What do you say to the people that are curious and may have a looming issue that is lurking in the shadows?

Chef AJ: I can't do anything until they are ready and they come to me. I can only lead by example.

LRJ: I know you mentioned your parents were severely ill, specifically your dad and his daily slice of kosher salami. What do you say to people who aren't seeing the connection between food and illnesses?

Chef AJ: There are none so blind as he who will not see. You really can't say anything to people who are in denial about the impact their food choices have on their health. Doctors are not taught nutrition in medical school and most people put doctors on pedestals when they should be putting their health destiny in their own hands. You can suggest they read The China Study or watch Forks Over Knives but you can't stop them from digging their own graves with their knives and forks. In my 36 years as a vegan, I have led many horses to the water. Very few are willing to drink.

LRJ: The adoption of plant-based diets are starting to spread around the country. You've packed some major points about the way most people eat and how to change our habits in a no-fuss guide and cookbook. What do you hope the readers will take away from Unprocessed?

Chef AJ: That whether or not they continue to eat animal products, they still need to eat fruits and vegetables. Americans eat less than 10% of their calories from fruits and vegetables and over 50% of Americans eat NO VEGETABLES! (Unless you count french fires and ketchup as a vegetable!). The other take home message is that processed food is not food and we should not be eating it and certainly not feeding to our children, period!

LRJ: I consider myself lucky to have discovered eating plant-based while in my 20s. It's tough to stay on track, but well worth it. Do you hope to reach a younger audience (my generation) as a means of preventing the diseases that our parents are facing?

Chef AJ: As Linda Creed said in her song The Greatest Love of All, "I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way". These food addictions to sugar, fat, salt, dairy and animal products start very early in life. I need to reach people before they have kids. It is so much easier to avoid these food addictions and diseases of lifestyle than treat them once they occur.

LRJ: Your recipes are simple and easy. What was the goal behind these recipes and who did you have in mind when writing them?

Chef AJ: Blind people! I was a volunteer culinary instructor at the Braille Institute for three years and all the recipes in my book were made by my blind students. I figured if a blind person could make them they would be a cinch for someone who could see. With just a few exceptions, I try to use very few ingredients that can be put together in minutes.

LRJ: You mentioned that Darren La Croix, Ed Tate and Craig Valentine taught you the six words that you needed to hear to finally write Unprocessed. What were those words and what prompted you to sit down and pen this book?

Chef AJ:  DONE IS MORE PROFITABLE THAN PERFECT. One of my students said she couldn't eat healthfully because she had mental problems. It got me thinking about all of the excuses people give as to why they can't possibly do this. I truly believe it all comes down to one thing: food addiction.

LRJ: I love how you end Chapter 5 of the book with a lending hand. You've invited your readers to contact you for support and I admire that! I've noticed that when people go plant-based they either have tons of support or face harsh criticism. What sort of support do you offer to your fellow readers?

Chef AJ: I kid you not that I get a minimum of 200 emails per day. Some days, double that. Many people have recipe or cooking questions. Some want support or coaching. Next year I will be bringing my program, The UNPROCESSED 30 day challenge, online so I can help more people at once.

LRJ: Any upcoming projects, cookbooks, etc.?

Chef AJ: Yes! Healthy Taste of LA, an annual event I co-produce, is coming up on November 4th. Dr. [Caldwell] Esselstyn is our keynote speaker this year. Tickets can be purchased at www.HealthyTasteofLA.com. If the event sells out again this year, we will live stream it for free. I will be teaching a class on October 23rd at 7:00 pm Pacific Time that you can watch for free at www.southbaychurch.net.

Publishing an Old Draft

I found this old post that I meant to publish upon accepting my current position. It's still something that I feel can be said even today, as I am at nearly nine months with the company. I truly feel lucky to be a part of something bigger than me!

For the first time in a long time I'm seeing clearly. My purpose in life has not always been a clear cut path. Slowly I'm realizing what I was meant to do, whether that be through writing or some other medium. Now I feel like I have finally found a meaningful path.

I've been confused about my path in life, but always was certain about one thing. Helping people was always something that came natural to me; I figured by being a good person things would work out.

I've always been a hard worker and completely dedicated to anything I was currently working on. And I'm not taking about a favor. I mean a life-changing experience that really determines who they are as a person.

I'm not sure why, but I've been drawn to this since I graduated college. I truly believe in callings, and think this is the universe's way of saying, "here's how you can help several people!"

An opportunity has presented itself so I can say I truly believe in the power of self-determination and to help several people while I'm at it! This is an exciting opportunity to show what my true beliefs are and how to harness this energy for some fun and interesting projects ahead.

Opportunity is A-Knockin'

I've sent out hundreds of cover letters and resumes over the past year. I usually accompany them with only a few professional sentences along the lines of, "please let me know if you require any additional information in regards to my skills and qualifications for this position."

Now, that took several e-mail attempts to polish that one sentence up. I am a writer, and always felt like I had the right word for most situations. Somehow, though, I wasn't standing out among the crowd.

Then on one cold January night, I was browsing the Internet for publishing firms in Austin. I loved to edit and might like the publishing industry, I thought. I had worked for a magazine and my college newspaper, so I thought, "why not,"!

I played with keywords in the search engine until I came across one that caught my eye. On their site, I found a video about what it was like to work for their company and was floored. Everyone looked really nice, it seemed to be a fun work environment and they all worked very hard. "That's it," I thought! It was like something resonated with me.

I immediately located the owner and started, well, writing. I did something I had tried in the past but never with much success: expressed my sincerest interest in a position--any position--for the company.

That was six months ago. A month after my e-mail, I received a response from the owner. He said he would let me know if anything came up. Over five months have passed, and guess what? I have a telephone interview tomorrow.

Looking for a job? My advice: pour your heart out. Someone will listen and understand your passion.